situation more than in another: but it mightily aggravates his wickedness, because he carries not the awe and belief of God's omnipresence every where. Were he at home, no man more civil than he. But the eye of man prevails more with him than the omniscience of God; for when he leaves his friends and native land, he leaves the fear of God also (that is, the form of godliness, for he never knew the power thereof) and rushes into sin wherever he goes. Like the ignorant Syrians, he thinks that God is a God of the hills, but not of the vallies, a God of the land, but not of the sea; and thus, when he casts off men by distance, he sets God also at a distance, and the divine law at defiance: but, to his endless remorse, he shall know that God seeth, not only under the whole heaven, but through the whole heart; and filleth not only time, but eternity itself.

As no grateful soul could injure a generous friend though he could never know it; so, for my part, I would not sin against God, even supposing that he could not know it. How should I forget thy tender mercies, thy love, thy compassion, thy kindness, and supporting grace! How should I sin against thy holiness, offend my best, my never-failing friend, wound my conscience, slay my soul, and trample on thy glory! Thou art ever in the heart that loves thee, and thou wilt bring them that willingly forget thee to a remembrance of thy omnipresence by the down-pouring of thy dreadful wrath. If nothing but the eye of man be on the mind, it will make but small impression, and the impression will be quickly gone; but I can never hide me from Heaven, nor conceal myself from my own conscience.

Moreover, I am bound to be for God by many ties. how shall I honour him whom all dishonour, and

appear for him when all appear against him! In the time that I may appear alone for him, I should not loose the opportunity which may never be put into my band again. How then should I love him whom the sons of men refuse to love; and hate sin the more that men hate it so little! Surely my zeal should be the warmer that men have lost all zeal for God and his glory. What can be more ungrateful than to sin against that God that has sent his Son to save me? than to offend him who defends me every day, than to cast off his fear, who has fed me all my life long; or join a multitude against him, who, passing by a multitude, has chosen me? I should have an eye to his glory, and his love should be always before me; his greatness should fill my mind with holy awe, and his goodness with gratitude and joy. But, ah! worthless I, how shall I hold up my face when I fall so far short of my duty, and do so little for him, who has done so much, who has done every thing for me!

MEDITATION LII.

COMPARISONS.

July 20, 1758.

TO make my situation more pleasant, in this med. itation, let me run a comparison between the sea-life, and the Christian life, which is properly called a warfare.

1. Then, we embark all in one common cause; so have all Christians one interest.

2. We leave our own country, our friends, and our native land; so must every Christian, so must the church forget her father's house, and her own people.

3. Sometimes we enter into his majesty's service against the opinion and inclination of our nearest friends; so sometimes, in becoming disciples of Jesus, we must deny our nearest connections, and dearest friends.

4. We do not entangle ourselves with the affairs of the land, as we belong to the sea; so must the saint not entangle himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a spiritual soldier.

5. We are all maintained by the King; so are all Christians by the throne of Heaven.

6. We come here neither uncalled or unwelcome, however unfit; so none that come to Jesus, shall ever be cast out.

7. Some are impressed for the service of their king and country; so nothing less than almighty power can make the sinner submit to Jesus.

8. We undergo a great change of life when we forsake the land, and dwell on the ocean; but they share in a greater change, who are translated from darkness into light, from the power of satan, to the living God.

9. Our way of walking must be changed, else we shall have many a fall on the deck; so Christians must not walk as other men, else, they shall not keep the path of life.

10. Our food must be changed, and adapted to our way of life; so must Christians live as well as walk by faith, and feed on heavenly food.

11. Our provisions must be of such a nature as to keep long, free of putrefaction, and answer in every climate; so must the saint feed on Jesus, the bread of life, who can nourish in every condition below.

12. We must forego our easy life, and expect to be washed by the briny wave, and beaten by the storm;

so Christians must not expect to loll in the lap of pleasure in a world where they are to have tribulation and pain.

13. We must keep continual watch fore and aft the ship, and the crew dare never all sleep at once; so must the Christian watch continually, watch unto all prayer, and be ever on his guard.

14. Our very dialect distinguishes us from the inhabitants on land; so should the Christian be known from the men of the world, by his innocent, useful, edifying, and religious discourse, managed always with discretion.

15. We have a discipline peculiar to ourselves, and pretty severe; so has the Christian church from her Lord a government and discipline which none can alter or abrogate.

16. We must not expect to quit the tempestuous element till the war be finished, and peace proclaimed; so the Christian needs not expect to be disengaged from trouble and turmoil till the spiritual war is ended, and eternal peace brought in.

17. We must always be ready to engage the enemy, as we know not when we may meet, and where we must fight; so the Christian, being in the midst of his enemies, must always be ready for the battle.

18. We are provided with arms and ammunition for the day of battle at the king's cost; so is every saint with the whole armour of God.

19. Sometimes an engagement at sea is made more dreadful by the darkness of the night; so sometimes, in the darkness of desertion, the saint is surrounded with all his cruel foes.

20. We must fight before we get the victory; so must the Christian conquer ere he obtain the crown..

21. We are provided with men of the healing art to give assistance to the wounded and diseased; so have the saints a tender-hearted Physician, who binds up the broken heart, cures the painful wound, and pours in the healing balm.

22. We have a steward who gives us our provisions daily, and not all at once, yet we have no uneasiness, knowing there is plenty under his hand, and that he has orders not to let us starve; so the saints, either in respect of spiritual provision, or daily bread, need never be disquieted for futurity, since Jesus is appointed of the Father, a steward to all the children of God, since all the fulness of the Godhead is treasured up in him for their supply, and since, to their unspeakable profit, all their provision, of one or other kind, is not given to them at once, but kept in his hand.

23. We have persons among us of all nations, English, Scots, Irish, Dutch, Swedes, Danes, French, Spaniards, Germans, Swiss, Italians, Russians, Indians, &c. of all dispositions, of all employments, and of all ages; so the Catholic church is composed of all nations, people, and languages, and of young and old.

24. We are appareled in a different manner from the men on land; so Christians are covered, both with the justifying righteousness of Christ, and with the righteousness of saints.

25. Officers, men, boys, are allowed the same quantity of provisions in the same time; so the fulness of the covenant, the fatness of God's house, is alike free to all the members of Christ.

26. We have several officers here, without whom we could not be governed; so in the church, there are officers for the government of the whole body.